Moving Articles

Packing Paper for Moving

Using packing paper for a move

Besides having plenty of moving boxes, the other moving supply you need to have on hand is packing paper. And plenty of it! You can’t have enough packing paper– it provides protection for almost all of your belongings. You can use it in a variety of ways, from wrapping dishes and knick-knacks to padding boxes. Let’s take a closer look at what type of packing paper we offer, why it’s ideal for moving, and how to use it.

Types of packing paper

In the U-Pack Box Store, we offer professional-grade, unprinted packing paper. The sheets are large enough to wrap fragile items, coming in at 24” x 36” each. We have four different selections available:

100 pounds of packing paper – includes roughly 2000 sheets. This pack is great for 6+ bedroom homes or anyone with a ton of small items to pack.

Benefits of packing paper over newspaper

You might be thinking you can save old newspapers to use when you move. However, even though they are similar, there are benefits to using packing paper. First of all, it’s the ideal wrapping material because it’s affordable and easy to use. But beyond that, there are several reasons why we recommend you using packing paper.

For starters, packing paper is clean and unprinted. When using newspaper to pack, the ink can easily smear onto your hands and get everything messy. Much more seriously, the ink can also transfer to your belongings. You don’t want last week’s headline to become part of your fine china or your glass figurine collection.

The sheets are the perfect size. When you compare the two, traditional newsprint can be an odd size to wrap items. The sheets of packing paper are large enough to cover your belongings but small enough to be easy to handle.

Packing paper is stronger structurally than newspaper. We recommend using packing paper as a cushion in the bottom of boxes and as filler in partially-full boxes. If you use newspaper for that, it will crumble too tightly and not provide the support that packing paper can.

Packing paper also holds its shape well, so as you’re wrapping items, you won’t have to use tape to secure it. Once you make a crease around an item, it will likely stay where you put it, making packing simple.

Lastly, packing paper is cost-effective when compared to other professional moving supplies. There is a place for supplies like Bubble Wrap® and moving blankets. However, for the majority of your items, you get the most bang for your buck using packing paper. It provides great shock absorption for a small price.

How to use packing paper

So how do you use packing paper? There are so many uses when moving:

Wrap fragile items. The most common use for packing paper is wrapping fragile items. For smaller delicate items, you can use a single sheet and wrap the item up like a burrito or a gift, making sure to cover all sides. For more fragile items, you can use two sheets at once to provide more protection.

Place crumpled packing paper in the bottom of boxes. We recommend placing a layer of crumpled paper in the bottom of every box to provide a little cushion in the base of the box. This ensures a little extra shock-absorption for your belongings.

Use it as void-fill in boxes. Boxes should be filled well so that the contents don't move around during transit. If you have empty spaces in boxes, use crushed packing paper to fill those spaces and ensure a snug fit.

You can recycle it when you’re finished moving. Once you arrive at your new home and get everything unpacked, you can take your used packing paper and recycle it! Talk to your local recycling center to find out their requirements – most will allow you to bring it in a bag or box and drop it off for recycling, and some might pick up recycling at your home.

Make sure you have plenty of packing paper!

Check out the selection of packing supplies in the U-Pack Box Store. All orders ship FREE to your home so you can get to work fast.

If you’re still trying to figure out how to move your belongings, check out U-Pack. Not only do we sell professional moving supplies, but we also offer hassle-free moving services. You do the packing and loading, and we do the driving. Click for a free moving quote!

If you have any questions about moving with U-Pack or using packing paper, please leave us a comment. We're happy to help!

Customer Reviews

They were fantastic to work with! We moved from Chicago to Arizona. We used the trailer option here you paid for what you used. It all arrived perfect and they worked great in scheduling around our closing date etc. We would definitely use them again!

The most amazing moving company I ever had. No more driving the truck, no more tiredness, no more gas/mileage fees. We just packed our stuff in the truck and it was delivered right in our parking spot without any hassles. Customer service is so easy to get hold on to. Truly Amazing experience :)

What a great service for moving. Not only did we save money over U-Haul, we didn't have to drive a gas guzzling huge truck. Professional drivers did. From start to finish, great and easy services! Thank you ABF!!!